[ TITLE ]: Sight
[ AUTHOR ]: Nyx Emrys
[ WORD COUNT ]: 1,639
[ WARNINGS ]: Might be a little scary for young readers

[ SUMMARY ]: One Girl. One Gift. One Destiny. When Ouria wakes in the middle of the night after a horrible dream, she thought it was just that - a dream. But with each day that passes, the orphaned farm girl from a quiet village starts to realize things aren't quite right. Calen, a traveler with a too much attitude and a past of his own, hears of Ouria's troubles, and thinks he can provide some answers. But is he all he says to be, or something much more dangerous? Choosing to trust Calen - against everyone's advice -, they both search for the answers to their questions of who - or what - she is, based on old legends and stories told as a child. But will they both really want to know what the future holds?

[ AUTHOR NOTES ]: Sorry this is a day late ... and short ... and probably not good enough ... IT'S JUST A LITTLE SHORT! IT'S STILL GOOD, IT'S STILL GOOD! Because it is a day late and short, the next chapter will be coming on Saturday as a pressie for you guys! Don't forget to stick around for that chapter, because it is going to be GOOOOOOOD! Happy reading guys!

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CHAPTER TWO
Uneasiness and Visions

Something all locals to the Terilian Forest know that you should never go alone. It is just inside the borders of Nithuen, and it is known that Shiron's guards, demoniacs, and captured souls roam the forest, looking for anyone to take back to their master for a slice in what they find. Shiron gets the soul, and everyone else fights over the scraps of a shell that was once human. Anyone captured and taken to Shiron hasn't been heard of to survive.

A hunt the day after Night of Death is always done in a group of 10 for safety because the night after the festival is when the slaves of Shiron are hunting the most. They know we will be out here, and they are just sitting, waiting for us to stumble upon their path. We have no choice though. It is either hunt in the Terilian Forest, or be hunted and driven from our own homes. It is not unusual to have a member of the hunting party be taken on this day, and we all knew it.

It was just a matter of who it was that would be taken. I knew one thing for certain though, and that is I wasn't going to let it be me.

"We need to travel another three leagues northwest, and we will come onto the hunting grounds from last year," Boltir explained while looking at a fairly detailed map of the hunting areas we control. Each village on the edges of the forest is given hunting grounds which they may use at their own leisure. We may venture onto other villages grounds, but we ask for permission first, as a sign we mean good will. If it ever does come to the need to use other people's hunting ground, we usually give them a cut in the kill as a thank you.

Our grounds were particularly abundant with birds and wild boar, as well as many nut and fruit trees. A good variety when paired with the produce and farming our village produces. None of what we caught today would be going towards our own stomachs though. The collector would be coming around in three days to take what we catch on our trips today and tomorrow, if we don't catch enough the first time. A wicked, little old man, he would come once in the summer, and again just after the Night of Death. Mondek is his name, and never was there a viler name for a vile man.

The way through the forest is slow, with me third in our single file line through the trees. Any paths that used to exist are long gone, and Boltir relies on the large trees, and landmarks of boulders and crevasses deep in the earth. I am to look for anything on our forward right direction, and I keep my arrow nocked and ready to fire if needed. I strapped my leather arm bracer and finger tabs on before I mounted my mare, knowing I would have no time to do so if we encountered something that needed killing. The snap of a bowstring against soft flesh is never a pleasant one, and I couldn't afford to suffer the injury of it today.

Haest is behind me, keeping eyes out to the direct left, and Gotraf in front with watch over the forward left. You could never be too careful when travelling the Terilian Forest. This is why we usually go hunting in such large groups; each person will take a different direction to guard so nothing may be missed. The last person had the hardest job though. He would have to ride backwards to keep a look on our rear for things approaching from behind, and had to be agile and light enough to twist on the saddle to get away fast enough, since it was hard to gallop while backwards. Deril had this task today, being the fastest and most agile on a horse, and gifted with a keen eye where he would also watch the skies for anything flying - prey or danger.

The sick feeling in my stomach wasn't going away, and only grew more insistent as we trekked on. I knew something was definitely not right, and it seemed as though all the sounds of the forest were amplified, yet only I noticed. The loud flapping of wings with accompanying hoots of an owl. Rustling of brush which turned out to be only wind. The feeling of eyes constantly on the back of my head, staring through to my soul as if it were a meal. It was setting me on edge, and Haest noticed my anxiety.

"Ouria? Is everything alright? You seem tense and that isn't like you." Concern laced his voice as he spoke quietly, not wanting to startle the others with sudden conversation.

Before I had a chance to lie and say I was fine, Finnair decided to answer for me. "She's probably scared because she is female. They're not made to be out here with us, hunting for kill and in danger."

I stopped dead in the instant he had uttered the word female. My mare gave a cry of protest, and caused Haest's own mare to whine in protest. I turned on my saddle, facing the rear where Finnair was behind Haest. "I dare you to repeat those words Finnair. Utter another word and they may be the ones etched on your grave marker," i said quietly, but with so much rage in my voice he quickly shut his own mouth. I'm not sure if it was the tone of voice, or the fact my hand had migrated to my belt, slightly withdrawing a throwing blade.

"Quiet, all of you. I thought I heard something up ahead." Noark saves us again from skinning each other alive.

I slowly turn back in my saddle, facing my designated area of watch. I see nothing, but I do hear the rustling of leaves above us, most probably from the wind again. And then, it's as if I am travelling through dark water, and all senses have been blocked. I remember a sense of falling, and the thud of head hitting ground with a cry from behind me.

I am back conscious now, but there is a strange ripple effect to the world around me. I am no longer on my horse, and instead am a short distance behind Deril. That couldn't be possible though, since I was a good few people ahead of him in our horse convoy. There is a large amount of activity ahead of him though, and I quickly walk forward to find Haest holding someone, shaking them and asking them to wake. I realise with a jolt he is shaking me, and my world spins.

There is a screech of something monstrous, and I know the sound anywhere. Demoniacs and they're getting closer by the sounds of the piercing cries. I hurry forward, grabbing at Haest's shoulder.

"Get up, please. They're coming." My hand falls through his shoulder, and my voice comes on deaf ears. I can tell that Boltir has noticed the sound though, but it is all too late. The beasts crash through the canopy, taking him with them up to the clouds, and to a certain death. Further screeches are heard fast approaching, and they break through the canopy above. I scream, pulling my arms over my head as they reach for me. Their claws grab at me, and-

The world once again snaps back to reality. No ripple effect or spinning world. No Demoniacs screeching towards us and Boltir is still seated snugly in his saddle. For now at least. I bolt into a sitting position; my breathing hitched a few dozen notches, frantically looking around. My ears perked for any sounds of screeching.

"Where are they? Th-They came through the trees, and they took Boltir, and then they were coming for me, and ..." My ramblings sounded like those of a wild woman, barely understandable. It was Haest's soft lulling that calmed me to a point where I could talk coherently.

"What did? You're not making any sense girl. Nothing has come for us, and we haven't seen a living creature since we entered the forest," Finnair's harsh, patronizing voice cut through the silence that followed my incoherency.

"Finnair, shut that God awful trap of yours for once, will you? Or I shall shut it for you," Hilmen called from the second last position at the rear. He had gotten off his horse to see what was going on, but didn't move from its side.

I stared up at Haest, my eyes pleading with him. "Please Haest, I'm not crazy. We need to move, or else the Demoniacs going to be here in a matter of minutes. Please." My voice was desperate with him to try and believe what I was telling them.

He studied my face, and then the area around us. "Alright, we'll move. I don't think Ouria would lie about something like Demoniacs, so let's go." Helping me to my feet and back to my horse, he gave me a boost up.

"Are you mad Haest? She's a woman deluded by fear and will say anything to ge-" Finnair was cut off my a screech far off in the distance, yet still pierced each of our ears.

"Is that proof enough for you?" Boltir called from the front, rounding his horse to the right. He galloped at a hard pace, and all we could do was follow and trust the Demoniacs didn't come after us.

I didn't fully care about how I knew they would be coming, or where we were going to hide. As long as we were away from them and their cries that accompanied death.

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[ FINAL AUTHOR NOTES ]: And so they're on the run from the evil Demoniacs! Ouria has had her first Vision, and Haest gets shown in a slightly different light ... Wonder where that will lead off to. Don't forget to tell me what YOU THINK by RATING & REVIEWING and something cool that didn't always be on - SHARE ON TWITTER/FACEBOOK! Till next time ... Blessed Be!

- Nyx Emrys